Kelowna

Multiple assaults at high school

Kelowna RCMP say a 17-year-old girl could face multiple assault charges after the incident at OKM on Wednesday afternoon.

After her arrest she was released into the care of medical practitioners and will be appearing in court at a later date. She has also been banned from Okanagan Mission Secondary School in order to further safeguard the students and staff.

The investigation into this matter is still ongoing.

UPDATE 9:00 P.M.

Students from Okanagan Mission Secondary have now come forward to Castanet with their first hand accounts of the incident.

"The girl came out of nowhere, I heard a ruckus behind me so I turned my body and she struck me violently in the face. Then continued to attack others. It was a very inappropriate event," says OKM student Hailey.

"I'm fine! it was crazy! I'm assuming about 25 people were hit!" said Katrina who was slapped in the face and punched in the head by the female attacker.

T.D. says, "I was in the classroom above where the assault took place and I was clearly able to see the half-naked girl through the window run across the field and under (out of) my sight of view. That's when the assault happened and soon after, she was running away from the school down the field and with no top whatsoever. Just crazy."

5 p.m. original story: Several students at Okanagan Mission Secondary School were assaulted during a bizarre incident Wednesday.

Photo: Trevor Rockliffe - Kelowna - Castanet

According to witnesses a teenaged girl, wearing only tights and a bra, entered the school after the noon hour, ran down the hall punching and slapping students in the face.

Her bra apparently came off during the attacks.

A female student who tried to intervene suffered a bloody nose.

Witnesses say the girl left before school officials could apprehend her.

One parent of an OKM student says she was told the girl ran across the field, picked up a shirt she had discarded earlier and fled the school grounds.

She was eventually apprehended near the H2O Centre.

School District 23 Superintendent, Hugh Gloster confirmed the incident took place.

"The principal has indicated to me there were about 12 students who, in some way, were either cuffed, slapped or in the case of the a student who tried to corral this gal, who was actually struck," says Gloster.

"My understanding is they had asked the students to come forward and there were 12 students who came forward and indicated they had been hit by this young girl."

Gloster says it was a very random attack.

"The person appeared from nowhere, went through the hall, appeared unprovoked. (It was) A random interaction. She made a quick exit out the back door."

Gloster says he can confirm 12 students were assaulted as a result of the incident. He says not all of the victims have spoken with school officials but of those that have confirmed there were no serious injuries.

RCMP and Emergency Services are dealing with the girl who Gloster confirmed is not a student at the school.

Cst. Kris Clark was unable to provide further details except to say the girl had likely been taken to hospital.